Desert Rose
by Dirgesworn
Summary: Sabaku is a lonely, rogue shinobi with a unique heritage. Will his cold heart allow him to find someone that he can love? My first Naruto fanfiction, hope you like it! Chapter 2 now up, Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1 Sands of Hate

**Desert Rose**

**Chapter 1 Sands of Hate - Search for the Desert Rose**

Within my heart I could hear it beating. A requiem to a battle-torn heart breaks into a dirge of perpetual sorrow to those that must sing its forbidden cords. Those who sing its resonating tones know only of pain and suffering, never to rest until death do they part. Lady Death plucks at the strings of Fate's harp, her menacing tunes mimicking her eyes drawn to the tormented hearts of men. She heeds and fears neither evil or good, and one by one we all fall to the grey hearted destruction of her song. Only passionate hate for the mortal kind echoes in her voice. One day she will take her scythe and cut each string of Fate's harp, relieving the world of its pains and woes. But that may never come to pass, for she would never give what many corrupted men have longed for after centuries of prayer. Yet some are like the rose of the desert, trapped among the twisting sands yet still beautiful and untouched by corruption. It is those that will lead mankind into a new generation of inner tranquility. Many seek this desert rose, someone who will guide them to the light so that they may not falter as their ancestors have. I am Sabaku of the Desert, and I will find my desert rose, even if I must journey to the ends of the earth to find it.

In the dead of night a shadow passes on unnoticed, unthought of. It passes on the wings of the wind, the sand beneath it is only guidance to its destination. Moving onward it finds a settlement in the middle of a barren desert, deep in the Land of Earth west of the Land of Fire. Having found this settlement it enters its oldest landmark, a small building of which's only interesting feature is the flight of stairs going downward into the earth. The shadow flew down the simple flight of stairs, spiraling deeper into the earth. Only then was its presence known, for the earth holds no secrets that the shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Sand are unaware of.

The shadow stopped for a moment, hiding itself in plain sight from those that guarded the labyrinth that it had just entered. The shadow was a man, dressed in a grey cloak with blood red garments. The mask he wore was plain, flat, and white, only eyes to peer through. His most interested feature was the large, stone gourd of sand he carried on his back. He hid on the ceiling for a while, using his chakra at the bottom of his feet to sustain his weight. It was not long before the shinobi below him saw him hanging above them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. That moment was now.

In a flash the sand that filled the gourd emptied itself and began to tear each shinobi apart. They cried in terror as each of their allies were torn to ribbons by the sheer force of the moving sand. Could it be possible that this man of the night has the power to manipulate the desert sand itself? No.  
it was much more than that. Something demonic lingered about in the gaze of the man that wore that gourd on his back.

"Why do you run?" he asked to the fleeing shinobi. "There has not been... enough blood!"

As the last of them fled or perish under the might of the sand, the sand began to recollect itself in the gourd once more. No remorse was felt by the man, only a hatred that could not be satisfied. He fell from the ceiling and landed perfectly onto the floor. Walking onward, he did not even take the time to glance at the dead or wounded that he left behind.

As he continued, more shinobi got in his way. And the more shinobi came, the more men Lady Death led to the afterlife. Soon there was no one left in the entire labyrinth, only the man and his prize. Blasting through a door that stood locked and barred, the man walked into the final room. In it was another man, a shinobi of rank higher than that of a jonin. It was the Kazekage, shinobi leader of the Village Hidden in the Sand. In his white and blue robes he attacked the intruder, sending waves of kunai at him. But the sand would not allow it, repelling each and every kunai as it came at him. Soon there were no kunai left to assail with, and the sand soon grabbed hold of Kazekage's entire body.

"Come on, old man." the man laughed. "I thought you would put up a better fight than this, you and your pathetic ninjas! Or is it that you know you cannot fight me?"

"I do not wish to fight you, Sabaku!" cried out the Kazekage. "You could have been Kazekage, just like your grandfather before you."

"It is my grandfather who gave me this curse!" he exclaimed. "It is thanks to that fool that I can never sleep, for fear that this demon may devour my very mind! It is because of him, everyone feared me! Is that what he wanted, for me to be feared among my peers?"

"But Gaara had no choice! The curse must be passed down or all would be lost to the demon! I too had to endure the pain."

"Not like I have!" shouted Sabaku as he removed his mask. The pupils of his eyes were the color of blood, just as his hair was. The bags under his eyes showed signs of sleeplessness and must inner torment. Surely, this man must have suffered. By this time the sand had completely enveloped the Kazkage and it was only a matter of time before it was too late.

"Good bye, father." was Sabaku final words to him before he exclaimed, "Sand Coffin!"


	2. Chapter 2 Journey to the Land of Fire

**Desert Rose**

**Chapter 2 Journey to the Land of Fire - The Desert Rose Found**

The death of a loved one. What more can be said? The death of one that has caused you pain and suffering, knowing that in the end only a demon will rise from the ashes of woe. That is another story. Many remember the death of the Kazekage, the man who brought forth peace and light to the Village Hidden in the Sand in the Land of Earth. But none remember the supposed death of a child, cursed with eternal torment and a danger to all he encountered. Just like my grandfather before me, all wished for my death, which because of the curse would never come. A demon, giving me all the power over the desert sands, exists inside me every waking moment. Passed down from generation to generation, the foul demon feasts on my family's souls. Its black hearted evil killed my mother. Its rage slew my father, though secretly it was my wish as well. I loved my mother. She treated me like no other treated me. She loved me, and did everything she could to comfort my perpetual sorrow. But in the end, it was my sorrow and thirst for blood that claimed her life. Now I can never feel joy again. This is why I continue to search for my own desert rose. Once found, I will once again know happiness. With it, none can hinder me, not even this malign demon within me. As I speak to you today, I swear an oath of blood. I will find my desert rose, or my name is not Sabaku of the Desert.

The sky was bleak and the clouds darkened. Amongst a slightly marred forest, a small town lay sleepily in the rain. Drops trickle down the leafs so delicately and soon drop down to the forest floor below. The rain beat hard on the rooftops, allowing a white noise of a beat to echo in the homes of an unsuspecting town. Little did a lone restaurant in the center of town know that they would be host to a stranger that would forever changed the life of a very special person.

The day was cold and the time almost dusk, though no one could tell with the sun and moon behind the dark clouds above. A shadow steps forward from the chaos of the thick forest, a man of blood red eyes and hair. He had been traveling for days in the harsh desert, finally arriving in the Land of Fire, which consisted of forests that spanned on for miles. Having arrived at the sleepy old town,  
Sabaku wished for nothing more than to seek what little rest the demon would allow before venturing further into the unknown, and the restaurant at its center was the perfect place for it.

Walking in, there really was not much to look at. A quaint little place, with a small number of people, possibly regulars, sitting at its few tables. A bar stood at the far left corner with a slight number of drunks sitting on its stools, about four of them in all. Sabaku continued inward, choosing a lone seat and table at the far right corner of the restaurant. He sat there for a good five minutes before someone served him.

"How are you?" said a shy little voice.

Sabaku looked up from staring at the cleanliness of his table to see who could of had such a beautiful voice. It was a woman, ninteen years old, which was a year younger than himself. She had long, blonde hair that reached down to her shoulders. She wore a waitress's outfit, with a pencil and paper in her hand. But what really caught Sabaku's attention was her gorgeous, pale lavender eyes. She was beautiful in every way, shape, and form, and Sabaku could not help but stare into her eyes. Eventually she had to speak up to break the silence between them.

"Excuse me." she said in her quiet little voice again. "May I take your order?"

Finally haven broken the spell she had over his heart, he looked at her plainly and said, "I'll have some herbal tea if you have any."

She nodded, wrote it down on her piece of paper, and quietly walked through the kitchen door which was located behind the bar. Sabaku watched her as she walked away, his heart suddenly lifted from a burden he had no idea he had. Who could this woman be that has suddenly stolen his heart. He could see in her eyes that her heart was as pure as the virgin snow. Never before has a single person touched his cold heart in such a way for many years. But his train of thought was broken by a sudden cry for help.

"Let me go!" she cried.

The drunks Sabaku noticed from earlier were now harassing the poor lavender-eyed girl, grabbing at her arms and grinning with sinister eyes. She cried out for help but even the bartender was afraid to mess around with these thugs. They were all more muscular and could easily take a punishment without flinching. Flooded with a feeling he had never felt in years, Sabaku lifted his gourd onto his back and walked over to the brutes.

"It would be wise to let the lady go." said Sabaku in a cool tone. "You would not want me to mess you up."

The drunks laughed at Sabaku in the most obnoxious way possible. Their smiles broadened even wider as they each thought what they would do to him. Gut him, punch him, or even kill him. Those were their thoughts, as much of fantasies as they were. While two of them held onto the poor girl, the other two lunged at Sabaku with fists clenched. As they did this, the sand within the gourd poured out and easily deflected their punches, however numerous as they were. No matter what, they could not lay a finger on him.

With one hit to the face the first of them fell to Sabaku's devastating punch. The second fell to the floor on his own, having been dragged down by the grip of the sand. With one kick to the stomach Sabaku sent him flying into the wall next to where the girl and her captors were. The last two pushed the girl to the ground and ran off shouting, "This isn't worth it! It just ain't!" After they left the restaurant, dragging their comrades with them, the woman looked up at Sabaku.

"Who are you?" she shyly spoke.

"Tell me your name," he said as he lifted her onto her feet. "And I'll tell you mine."

"My name... is Aisai."

"And mine is Sabaku. A pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you for rescuing me..." she said as she hugged him tight.

At first Sabaku did not know what to say next. He was so amazed at how she did not run off in terror of him. Usually, even after rescuing someone, they would run off screaming in fear of his power. But she did not even flinch as he held her hands and gently comforted her. Could it be he has found what he has been searching for all these years? She holds no fear toward him, and he feels no resentment toward her in any way. She was nothing like anyone else he has ever met before. She even hugs him as soon as she sees that her attackers have been dealt with. Could it possibly be that he has found someone to love and who will love him in return? Could it be that she is, in fact, his own desert rose?


End file.
